I can't imagine my haircare without scrub. For years I've been using The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Scalp Scrub, but in late 2021, The Body Shop decided to pull my favourite scrub out of the market, and I was left with nothing. After months of searching for an ideal scalp scrub, I found Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub. I feel like Christophe Robin opened a new haircare door in front of me.
Don't get me wrong, I work with haircare products on daily basis. I even got asked by people, what else could you do? And I feel they are right. I do not imagine going back to work as an esthetician - I might enjoy being an esthetician but I guess ages of hearing my mom telling me not to choose a career as a hairdresser ended up with me being a marketing specialist for hair care & personal care brands.
My hair and scalp are not easy to deal with. My scalp is oily and it tends to clog, I tried different ways to deal with my hair including natural shampoos/shampoos with mild detergents and it was even worse. The best combo for my scalp is shampoo mixed with a scrub every few days. I started to use scalp scrub in 2016 or 2017, for years I've been using my favourite The Body Shop Scalp Scrub which review you can read on Kherblog. Once I went out of scrub a few months ago I tried Natura Siberica and Sephora - both didn't work for me. My choice was a bit limited since I try to avoid chemical scrub for hair since I'm not sure how my scalp and hair will react. Just to add, I bleach my hair regularly and I use purple shampoo a lot since I try to save my hair looking almost white. It wasn't an easy choice to buy Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub because this scrub has one strong problem - it costs a lot. thankfully I found a set for less than a jar of this scrub with two miniature products - shampoo and detangling gelée. It was a bargain! And the packaging looks cute, so the choice was obvious.
About Christophe Robin
Christophe Robins is a brand that I met because Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub was one of the first scalp scrubs available at Sephora in Poland. I have to admit it - the Polish haircare market is not easy, it's a pain in my bottom. Even if you have any knowledge about cosmetic chemistry - you'll still deal with people who knows better than you because they read something somewhere. People usually don't accept that your scalp and hair might have different preferences than yours. According to the brand's website, Christophe Robins as a brand was founded in 1999. This brand is focused on ingredients of natural origin. The brand started to sell Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub in 2013.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub - Packaging
I got the entire Christophe Robin set - I didn't take a photo of this set since I had issues with how to take a nice photo of it. Right now Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub has a bit different packaging - it has white packaging so you won't see the texture of this scrub through the packaging. It's a bit sad, but it's been over 20 years and the brand decided to do a rebranding. The jar is plastic - in my case, it's better than glass since I tend to have issues with grabbing haircare products.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub - Texture & Scent
Imagine you put sea salt and mix it with regular salt and some coconut oil. That's how this scrub kinda feels. It's not a greasy formula but it looks like chunky white chocolate spread. The scent of Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub is refreshing, a bit herbal or even reminds me of forest or menthol, but the formula is menthol free.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub - Ingredients
Sodium Chloride, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Aqua (Water), Butylene Glycol, Cocamide MEA, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydrated Silica, Bisabolol, Menthyl Lactate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Evernia Furfuracea (Tree Moss) Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Sodium Chloride is nothing else than well-known salt. In skincare, sodium chloride is a thickener. We also use it as an exfoliant. Sodium Laureth Sulfate is a controversial ingredient. Clean beauty brands like to scare us with it, while drugstore brands use it a lot. SLES is an anionic surfactant - it helps with the foaming. Many people think that Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is the same as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLES is more delicate than SLS. By the way, Christophe Robins says on its website that products are SLS FREE. Water hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes the majority of the content of the product. Butylene Glycol is a common ingredient in products. It's not only a solvent. We use butylene glycol because it helps with the penetration of active ingredients, protects products from drying and moisturizes skin and hair. This ingredient can prevent hair loss and make your hair stronger. Cocamide MEA is a surfactant and thickener. Glyceryl Stearate is an ester of Glycerin and Stearic Acid. It's an emollient and emulsifier, and you can find it in oil in water formulas. It's a superb ingredient, but in some solutions, Glyceryl Stearate is problematic for me since it feels like it clogs my skin, but just because I'm not a fan of it, it doesn't mean your skin won't like it. Every skin is different.
PEG-100 Stearate is another surfactant on the list. It's also an emulsifier. Saccharide Isomerate is a moisturizer, its origins are in the sugar and sugars in products usually add moisture. Hydrated Silica helps with texture, makes the product lasts long and it's a super helpful exfoliant with antibacterial properties. It can absorb the oil. Bisabolol can be found in Chamomile, this ingredient soothes the skin. Menthyl Lactate is an ingredient used instead of Menthol due to lower irritation levels. It has similar properties to Menthol - it gives scent to the product, but it can cool your skin down. Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil or Sweet Almond Oil, is an emollient, and a source of oleic acid - not the best news for acne-prone skin, but it's one of two of my favourite hair oils. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that we shouldn't be afraid of. There are strict norms for this substance in our beauty products. Benzyl Salicylate is a scent ingredient, some people can have an allergic reaction to this substance. Linalool gives a floral scent to products. It can irritate the skin. Limonene is a scent ingredient, and it makes the product smell like lemon or orange. Limonene can enhance penetration of other substances, but at the same time, it can irritate the skin. Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional and Evernia Furfuracea (Tree Moss) Extract add scent to the formula. Citric acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) - a delicate exfoliant and a buffering ingredient. It adjusts the pH of the formula. Sodium Citrate neutralizes metal ions, but it also modifies the pH.
How does Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub work?
I have to admit, if it comes to hair care I'm always having this negative attitude towards new haircare products. Why? Because when I was a teen going to high-end hairdressers wasn't that easy and local hairdressers didn't take much more than $5 for a haircut couldn't cut my hair, style them and in general, I was always unhappy with what I got on my head. I'm not joking last time when I was bleaching my hair I started to laugh when I saw my hair after bleaching since it reminded me of my orange hair after bleaching over 10 years ago because my hairdresser was so great enough to let you go out of her salon without doing bleaching and hair dye properly. I'm not even talking about haircare treatments I got recommended as a teen or products that were supposed to make my scalp less oily and hair easier to brush. For ages, I thought that long hair won't be possible for me. Until I turned 18 and a hairdresser in a smaller town decided to destroy my hair by dying my hair in the colour of walnuts instead of apricot - I got horrible dark blonde instead of strawberry blonde/apricot colour. To remove the colour and get my lovely 9.34 in Loreal Majirel I spent a lot. Since then I started to go to places where I knew they use high-quality materials instead of Italian brands that no one heard about instead of local tiny sellers who sold these hair dyes for 3-4$.
My experience made me suspect every single product, especially if the product worked but then after a month, I saw it destroys my hair like one hair mask which everyone loves - Garnier, your masks are not for my hair so please stop spamming me with your ads on Tiktok, I won't give you a 2nd chance! When I heard my favourite scrub is no longer in the sale, my entire life was destroyed. But it was 2021! Nowadays we have a choice, even if Sephora has limited choice. I'm not a fan of buying haircare at Sephora because it can be expensive and I don't want to spend money on products that might not work for me. It wasn't easy for me to buy Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub at first, but they had a sale on a mini set with the mask. I don't want to introduce this mask in this post since it didn't work for me at all, but I want you to show the other set I got - with shampoo and detangling gelee (the post about detangling products will come one day, I don't want to say February since I got exam season coming to mid-Jan-Feb and I need to score max points like last year).
Anyway, Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub was a nice surprise. I was searching for a sea salt scrub because I'm not fully sure about AHA scrubs for my hair. My haircare routine is quite specific but I learned one thing in the last few years - if your scalp has hard times dealing with scrub - mix it with shampoo, massage your scalp and add some water. Massage it once more. I'm aware that Sea Salt for many people is on a dark list, but in my case, nothing removes oil like a good scrub with sea salt. What Christophe Robin did great was using Menthyl Lactate instead of Menthol - it gives this refreshing feeling without irritating your skin. My scalp after using Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub doesn't feel oily anymore, my hair is shiny and it's not because of the oil. I just feel like my hair and scalp and fresh and light. Sometimes I can still find some salt on my head but it's not a problem for me. I still have to use my hair every day or every second day, but at least my hair is not going oily just after washing my hair. For ages, my oily scalp was a reason why I felt uncomfortable and heard some bad stuff about my personal hygiene (even if I'm pretty sure it was better than my friends). So to sum up, I'm glad I tried Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub because the scrub from Sephora didn't work and I was a bit disappointed that I might end up going back to having always oily scalp because my old favourite scrub is no longer existing. Thankfully I found a perfect dupe for The Body Shop Fuji Green Tea Hair Scrub
Christophe Robin Purifying Shampoo with Jujube Bark Extract
Aqua (Water), Sodium Myreth Sulfate, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Parfum (Fragrance), Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Polyquaternium-10, Zizyphus Joazeiro Bark Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Water hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes the majority of the content of the product. Sodium Myreth Sulfate is a surfactant, it helps with foaming. PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate is an emulsifier. Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine are mild surfactants. PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate is another mild surfactant, but also an emulsifier. Glycerin or Glycerol is a humectant. Its origin can be natural or synthetic - depending on the product. It protects TEWL (transepidermal water loss) and naturally occurs in the skin. It's one of the NMFs - natural moisturizing factors. It's practical in haircare. Glycerin won't clog your skin or irritate it just the opposite - it protects your skin from irritation. Propanediol is also known as natural glycol - an alternative for propylene glycol. Propanediol is a solvent with additional moisturizing properties. It makes the texture of the product smooth in touch, and it can even improve the effectiveness of active ingredients. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. Polysorbate 20 is an emulsifier. Citric acid is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) - a delicate exfoliant and a buffering ingredient. It adjusts the pH of the formula. Polyquaternium-10 is a thickener, but it can help you detangle your hair. Zizyphus Joazeiro Bark Extract is an antibacterial and anti-dandruff surfactant. Under this name hides Jujube. Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract has anti-inflammatory properties. Disodium EDTA neutralizes metal ions in the formula to keep products fresh for a longer time. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that we shouldn't be afraid of. There are strict norms for this substance in our beauty products. Sodium Acetate regulates the pH of the product. Isopropyl Alcohol is a thickener and solvent. Sodium Chloride is a regular salt that you know from the kitchen. What does it do? It's a thickener, but it's also an exfoliant. Sodium Benzoate is a preservative. Benzyl Salicylate is a scent ingredient, some people can have an allergic reaction to this substance. Linalool gives a floral scent to products. It can irritate the skin. Limonene is a scent ingredient, and it makes the product smell like lemon or orange. Limonene can enhance penetration of other substances, but at the same time, it can irritate the skin. Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol and Butylphenyl Methylpropional add scent to the formula.
I said before that the set had two minis. One of them was Christophe Robin Purifying Shampoo with Jujube Bark Extract. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to uni later this month so I'll test it and share results with you on Instagram. If the shampoo will be better than the one I'm using right now I might end up creating an entire post about it.
Christophe Robin Detangling Gelée with Sea Minerals
Aqua/Water/Eau, Propanediol, Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polyquaternium-10, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum), PPG-26-Buteth-26, Isopropyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Maris Sal/Sea Salt/Sel Marin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Chloride, Limonene, Silica
Water hides in a cosmetic product under names such as Aqua or Eau. It's a solvent, but it's not your regular drinking water. If we want to use water in skincare products, we need to make sure this water is clean and free from minerals, any microorganisms or other substances. Usually, water makes the majority of the content of the product. Propanediol is also known as natural glycol - an alternative for propylene glycol. Propanediol is a solvent with additional moisturizing properties. It makes the texture of the product smooth in touch, and it can even improve the effectiveness of active ingredients. Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine helps with detangling, and it keeps your hair from statics. Behentrimonium Chloride is a preservative. Polyquaternium-10 is a thickener, but it can help you detangle your hair. Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride is a stabilizer, but it has a more important function to your hair - it's an antistatic agent. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that we shouldn't be afraid of. There are strict norms for this substance in our beauty products. Lactic Acid in this case adds moisture to the hair since exfoliants usually need at least 10% concentration to work as an exfoliant, in lower concentrations they can lift dead skin cells but mostly add moisture. Fragrance (Parfum) is a scent composition. It can cause allergic reactions. PPG-26-Buteth-26 is a surfactant. Isopropyl Alcohol is a thickener and solvent. PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier. Ethylhexylglycerin is a preservative with subtle moisturizing and antimicrobial properties. Disodium EDTA neutralizes metal ions in the formula to keep products fresh for a longer time. Benzyl Salicylate is a scent ingredient, some people can have an allergic reaction to this substance. Linalool gives a floral scent to products. It can irritate the skin. Sodium Acetate regulates the pH of the product. Sodium Chloride is a regular salt that you know from the kitchen. What does it do? It's a thickener, but it's also an exfoliant. Limonene is a scent ingredient, and it makes the product smell like lemon or orange. Limonene can enhance penetration of other substances, but at the same time, it can irritate the skin. Silica is a thickener with magical properties for acne-prone and oily skin. It absorbs sebum, but at the same time, it can reflect the light to make your skin look healthy.
I said that before - you can expect me to publish a post about Christophe Robin Detangling Gelée with Sea Minerals in February or March because this product is something I've been searching for ages. Do you have problems with detangling? Try it! I do not use it on my scalp and I recommend you to use it only on your ends or parts that are hard to brush since it can make your hair look a bit flat.
Where to buy Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub?
I got my Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub at local Sephora, the US Sephora sells 250ml of Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub for $53. It's not the most affordable price so I recommend you shop during sales. You can also purchase this scrub from Christophe Robin official website. Prices are the same, but Christophe Robin has some nice deals too.
Overall, it was hard to find a scalp scrub that works for me. Do you use scalp scrubs?
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